Ecstasy of Fulmination
Formerly known as the 1st Cairngorn Penal Legion, the Ecstasy Of Fulmination is a Chaos Warband dedicated to Slaanesh, having betrayed the Imperium in the wake of Abbaddon's 13th Black Crusade. Operating mainly on the border between the Segmenta Obscurus and Ultima, they have build up a reputation for wanton, large-scale destruction and systematic enslavement. History Origins The mining world Cairngorn is a barren, hostile world on the outskirts of Imperial territory, located on the northern fringe of the Gothic Sector between the Segmenta Obscurus and Ultima. It's rocky, mountainous terrain features vertical, circular shafts all over it's surface, sometimes several kilometers in width and depth. It is speculated that they are leftover mining efforts of a long-forgotten alien species, though no remains of them have been found. In mid-M38, the planet was re-colonized as a penal mining colony, the resources intended to be used in the ever increasing war-efforts of the Imperium. Thus, millions of convicts from all over the Segmentum were shipped to Cairngorn, overseen by a comparatively small force of PDF lead by an officer of the Adeptus Arbites. The number of prisoners was severely thinned out in the first years, given the harsh conditions, accidents, cave-ins and the clash between the more and the less violent convicts. What remained were a hardy, tenacious core of men and women, slowly adapting to their environment. After barely managing to hold out during a Dark Eldar raid, the planet's population was saved by the arrival of an Imperial fleet. However, the imperial intent had not been to safe them, but to conscript them into a penal legion to aid partake in the Indomnitus Crusade. Thus, the 1st Cairngorn Penal Legion was created. A Colonel Most Unfit Initially put under the command of Colonel Dougal Monroe, his style of leading proved incompatible with the legionnaires. While formerly recruiting a regiment of inexperienced but trained and disciplined recruits, he now faced life-hardened, strong-willed individuals with criminal backgrounds. Their cynical, nihilistic approach to warfare could not have been further away from Monroe's ideal of men fighting to redeem themselves in the eyes of the Emperor. Furthermore, his habit of commanding from the safety of his HQ and leaving direct command to his second in command, Major Evangelija Atanasov, deepened the chasm between him and his regiment even further. This resulted in Monroe dispatching his men to near-suicidal objectives in an attempt to teach them humility and break their resistance against his reign. It had the opposite effect. An Officer Dies, A Leader Emerges The strained relationship between Colonel Monroe and his regiment came to an end on Eachann Dhá, the location of his first and greatest victory so far. The Orks he had once subdued had regained strength under the command of a Boss named Jawbreaka and were threatening to overwhelm the moon's garrison. They used the moon's tunnels to force close quarter combat on the defenders, a style of warfare they had no experience in. When the 1st Cairngorn joined the battle, it quickly turned in favor for the Imperium, as the legionnaires felt right at home in the narrow, monstrosity-filled underground of Eachann Dhá. The eventual imperial victory was stained by the death of Colonel Monroe at the hands of Ork Kommandoz. After his demise, his second-in-command, Major Evangelija Atanasov was put in charge of the penal legion. During the command of Major Atanasov, the regiment's focus shifted from a supporting role to that of shock troops. Instead of assisting a larger force, the penal legion operated independently on more and more occasions, either working ahead of the main force to throw enemy defenses into disarray or stay behind to secure the parameter. Especially during the later missions, some civil servants raised complaints about the behavior of the legionnaires, which included raids, mass executions and other atrocities committed against the liberated population. This culminated in the Massacre of Ruun, when the 1st Cairngorn sacrificed the majority of the planet's ruling elite to Slaanesh in a fit of debauched slaughter. At the height of the massacre, Major Atanasov and the regiment's command announced their devotion to Slaanesh, revealing their long-established connection to the Cult. The overwhelming majority of the regiment followed their leaders into heresy, with those opposed facing sacrifice to the Dark Prince. Their retreat from the planet and the cover-up of their betrayal was aided by the equally corrupt Navy Commander Rakshata Vaari. Once the regiment and its auxiliary forces had deployed, the ships under Vaarti's command emerged from the Warp and opened fire in the back of the loyalists, destroying them with little chance for resistance. The news of this did not reach Imperial officials for another decade, as no witnesses were allowed to escape Ruun. The 1st Cairngorn continued to deploy regularly under their name and banner, spreading corruption to a huge number of worlds and regiments in the following years. In 054.M42, contact with the Imperium was ceased and six years later, the regiment was marked as 'lost' in imperial records. At that point, Atanasov lead the warband back to Cairngorn. In the following 15 years, the Ecstasy deployed only sparingly, to attack key targets, acquire recruits and wargear and fulfill goals laid down by their mistress. Simultaneously, a steady garrison focused on processing Cairngorn's resources and population into munition and soldiers for their eventual reveal to the Imperium and the consequent all out war against it. When the imperials made contact with the warband on Kadukus, officials were surprised as both Major Atanasov and Commissar Ibarra were recognized. From that point on, the Inquisition began their investigation and traced the warband's origin back to the 1st Cairngorn, the events on Ruun and even the death of Colonel Monroe. Campaigns * Liberation Of Eachann (999.982.M41-0.22.M42): Two decisive battles, 40 years apart mark the beginning and temporary end of an Ork incursion on the Moon of Eachann. Both times, Colonel Dougal Monroe was credited with a major role in the outcome of the battles. * The Massacre of Ruun (030.M42): The Feudal world of Ruun suffered large-scale riots and civil uprisings, to which the 1st Cairngorn was deployed as a response. It was later reported that a Chaos Cult devoted to Khorne had taken root on Ruun and the allegedly corrupt elite had to be eliminated. Navy Commander Rakshata Vaati betrays the Imperium and allies herself with the newly formed renegades. * [[The Scouring of Kadukus|'The Corruption Of Kadukus']]' (071-072.M42):' Along with a force of the Word Bearers, the Ecstasy of Fulmination corrupts, imprisons and slaughters millions of civilians and PDF forces. Their unannounced goal is to find those with psychic abilities in order to indoctrinate them into their ranks. Eventually driven off the planet by the combined Imperial forces, the Ecstasy abducts a great amount of civilians. It was the first encounter with the Kor Saran 1st Infantry and laid the foundation for future clashes between these armies. Leadership Evangelija Atanasov Carrying herself in an aura of nobility, it is merely a front for the debauched, vain being she has become. A personal entourage of her most loyal followers accompanies her into battle and almost every waking hour, eager to receive their leader's, and in consequence Slaanesh's, favor. The Major commands her troops from the second or third row. Surrounded by her personal entourage, she gives orders and directs the flow of battle rather than directly partaking in it. In combat, she wields her Demon Weapon and either a Bolt or a Las Pistol. Those who manage to close in on the Major are either ripped apart by her frenziedly devoted bodyguards or her Demon Weapon, the Cane Of Dominance. Despite having devoted her very being to the devotion of Slaanesh, her actions are aimed to strengthen the Ecstasy rather than worship her dark master, be it the enslavement and indoctrinating of civilians to be used as frontline cannon-fodder or the raid of outposts and shipyards to acquire new wargear. Retinue As if she was mocking the Imperial Guard, the Major leads her own, twisted parody of a command squad into battle. * Castor and Pollux: '''Following the death of Drom on Kadukus, the position of Atanasov's bodyguard became vacant. The supposed twins Castor and Pollux successfully filled this position by literally crippling their competition out of consideration. While not part of the prisoners originally recruited from Cairngorn, they enjoy a great deal of trust from their mistress. * '''Syronne Piaph: A singer, given the choice to continue her life as the concubine of a Rogue Trader or step into the service of the Ecstasy. She acts as the Major's voice, either relating her orders over the vox or directly with her bewitching voice. * Prince Filth: Presumed to be one of the last nobles from Ruun, Filth's figure is constantly obscured by the tattered blue robes he wears. Apparently mute, the hunched figure carries the Ecstasy's standard, his gaunt wrists chained to the heavy, thorny flag-pole. Frantziska Ibarra On the other hand, the former Commissar of the regiment, Frantziska Ibarra is revered to nearly the same degree as the Major, still enforcing discipline with the ruthlessness and iron hand synonymous for her former rank. Over the course of the regiment's corruption, their increasingly loose morality and lacking discipline made her resort to ever harder punishments. Growing the suspicion that the men under her command defied her as a sort of twisted challenge, she pledged not to lose, and to uphold the Emperor's Divine Will. This proved to be a downward spiral, as parts of the regiment did indeed disobey on purpose in order to see how far Commissar Ibarra would go. Fueling each other's obsession with punishment and the enforcing of authority, this eventually developed into a sub-culture within the regiment, putting on public displays of disciplining and disobedience. The role she pushed herself into left her feel isolated, viewing it as her duty to single-handedly enforce order in the legion. During the Massacre of Ruun, the contact with the local Slaanesh Cult relieved her from this feeling. Introduced to it under the guise of a 'sub-culture' by Major Atanasov, the Commissar found herself appalled at first. During the time of the campaign however, with the increasing lack of discipline and excesses of the troops, it did not take long before Ibarra eventually began to incorporate the Cult's techniques into her work. With the legionnaires responding to them overarching positively, she found her trust in the Cult rewarded. Soon enough, she found herself a frequent visitor of the Cult's meetings, eventually detaching the pleasure she took from enacting punishment from it's root in keeping up order and morale. When Major Atanasov openly announced her treason and devotion to Slaanesh, Commissar Ibarra wavered. By that time, however, she saw herself unable to give up on the personal fulfillment she found in her role as the legion's judge, torturer and hangman. As Atanasov's second in command, the Commissar has been put in charge of training recruits and enforcing the minimum of discipline necessary for combat operations. Accompanied by a retinue of obsessively obedient slavers and torturers, the Commissar has been put in charge of subduing prisoners and suppressing civilian resistance during operations, respectively assisting Atanasov in the torture performed on captured enemy leaders. Gifts Of Slaanesh * Needle Of Desire: A double-ended needle, one end of which is permanently inserted into the champion, from whom it absorbs various poisons and toxins produced by champions of Slaanesh. The venom will throw anyone into a state of delirium and many simply shut down the moment the toxins reach their blood stream, so potent is the poison. They will often then remain slumped over the needle. Organization With Atanasov and Ibarra reigning supreme and unchallenged, the rest of the warband has reorganized itself after a short but intense period of bloody infighting. Company and Platoon structures are still mostly in effect, while Squads have effectively faded. Numbers of each formation usually fluctuate in numbers and consistence between operations, both due losses as well as members switching formations with a fair amount of freedom. Leadership is determined through a system of domination by force, betrayal and sycophancy. Company leaders report directly to Major Atanasov, being personally appointed and approved by her alone. Succession is usually enacted due to failure of the current leader or their death by the hands of the enemy or their own ambitious underlings. The latter is a gamble on the underling's side, as they might face severe punishment for their arrogance. These champions then choose their own retinue of loyal underlings, who in return gather those loyal to them under their command and so forth. However, to each of them, only the approval of their Queen, the Major counts and even the lowest soldier will go to great lengths for the chance of pleasing her even for a mere moment. Recruitment As many renegades, the Ecstasy of Fulmination has lost access to their homeworld ever since Cairngorn has been destroyed by an Exterminatus following the Imperium's discovery of the legion's betrayal. Forced to secure new sources for recruits, losses are replaced with freed and indoctrinated convicts of other penal legions or colonies, corrupted guardsmen and PDF forces, commanders broken by torture or enthralled by the Majors unholy charms. Additionally bolstered by slaves, abhumans and cultists, this has more than doubled the Ecstasy's initial fighting strength. Demons are a rare sight in the ranks of the Ecstasy, as the Major regards their fickle nature as a great disadvantage. If used, they often cover the warband's retreat. Specialist Formations and Personnel Over the relatively short time of it's existence, the warband's ranks have swollen with cultists, renegades and slaves. Some of these formations and individuals having gained a considerable amount of infamy themselves. * Drom: Retrieved from the cell of a Prison Ship by Major Atanasov, the Ogryn known as Drom has served it's mistress with unfaltering loyalty as Bodyguard and bloody enforcer of her will until his death at the hand of the Kor Saran 1st infantry on Kadukus. * The Chained And Redeemed: ''A sub-cult within the warband, founded by Commissar Ibarra's devoted, submissive admirers. They futilely attempt to restrict their perverse urges, resulting in excruciating, highly anticipated orgies of torture conducted by their mistress. * '''Penetrators:' Following the Scouring of Kadukus, the need to deal with heavy armored enemies such as Space Marines led to the formation of specialized squads. To counter the warband's lack of heavy or plasma weapons, these squads resort to the use of explosives, specifically hunting lances and, extended from the principle, throwing spears equally enhanced with contact-reactive explosives. * The Once Bound: A coven of rogue Psykers, led by Medeor. Since his discovery on Kadukus and consequent 'recruitment' for the warband, he has gathered other freed imperial Psykers around him, forming an unstable but highly dangerous coven. Culture Very few legionnaires hoped to ever achieve redemption in the eyes of the Emperor. Most commonly, their explained goal was to simply survive whatever mission they were assigned to. To achieve this end, absolutely all means were considered justified. This included bolstering their ranks with local criminals as well as, pressing, swindling or gambling spare ammunition, rations and equipment from other regiments or the local inhabitants. The violent nature of their lives before and within the legion was always apparent, and legionnaires fighting each other over food, ammunition or alcohol was a common reoccurence. Just as common, however, were these fights with members of allied forces as the slightest provocation, whether intended or not, was often enough to set of a short-fused legionnaire. The newly assigned members tended to attempt to secure their position with displays of physical strength and ruthlessness. These ambitions were immediately beaten down mercilessly by the veterans, teaching humility through physical trauma. Now largely free of any kind of restraint, the legionnaires' criminal urges run rampant once the heat of battle rises. Initially, the warband acts and fights in formation, going so far as to pose as loyal guardsmen to catch the enemy off-guard. However, their nature eventually breaks through during a battle, letting the soldiers burst out into fits of destruction and indiscriminate slaughter. Their preference for highly populated planets goes hand in hand with their desire for destruction and subjugation and those who do not die in the blasts of explosions and swathes of fire find themselves abducted from their homes and dragged off-world. Viewing Major Atanasov originally as their liberator and benefactor, the formerly hard-earned loyalty and trust she received has now turned into slavish, blind worship. Her retinue and herself secure themselves the right to pick any slave or loot captured by the Cult and soldiers will often compete to present the finest pieces to their leader while trying to amass followers for themselves. Ever since their step into the service of the Prince of Pleasure , the Ecstasy's tendency for overwhelming violence has reached new heights as they now view themselves free to murder and destroy as much as they want. They favor worlds with a ruling elite or a large population, relishing in submitting both but especially the former to acts of cruel public humiliation and excessive torture. Their expertise with explosives is put to a whole new use as captives are submitted to sadistic games of trial and error, involving the explosive collars once worn by the Legionnaires. Those who survive this treatment are either subjected to indoctrination into the cult to serve as new recruits or face slavery. Enemy commanders, whether Imperial or otherwise, are a prized target for capture. Whoever is able to present one to the Major is sure to receive her personal blessing and rise tremendously in her esteem. The unfortunate commanders awaits a future of painful, twisted pleasure aboard the Bliss of Obedience, Ecstasy's flagship. At the end of an, seemingly endless act of vile debauchery, they are either found utterly broken in mind and spirit accompanying the Major's retinue as willful slaves or discarded into the waiting hands of the Ecstasy, submitted to trials of pain and error until they meet their eventual death. Combat Doctrine Well-versed in the use of explosives, tunnel-warfare and asymmetric warfare paired with their low number, the Finest are usually deployed for special assignments such as destroying enemy infrastructure or sabotaging supply lines. In combat, the regiment favors asymmetric warfare combined with hit-and-run-tactics. In practice, this boils down to a standard tactic of fake retreats leaving a great number of booby-traps and ambushes behind. Showing their full potential in confined environments, the Ecstasy exhibits their abilities best in Hives, Mines or even the narrow corridors of Space Ships. Furthermore, given their criminal background combined with a savagely pragmatic approach to warfare makes them ideal terror and shock troops. Focused on nothing but their own survival, the regiment has little qualms when it comes to suppressing rebellions with brute force. Ever since their open devotion to Slaanesh, the Warband's emphasis has shifted to large scale acts of terror and destruction. Usually following the call to war of other renegade forces, the Slaaneshi uses large numbers of mad cultists and mindless slaves to weaken and distract the enemy while attacking and destroying supply lines and simultaneously enslaving both civilians and captives in large numbers. Lastly, the Major has issued the crucial orders to take enemy leaders captive on every possible occasion. These unfortunate souls are brought back to the Ecstasy's flagship, the Bliss Of Obedience and face the special, twisted attention of the Major. Those who survive these debauched ordeals often lose their mind to Atanasov. This means that they are either disposed of immediately, having lost their value as entertainment, or they are taken into the next battle to serve their new mistress until death. The few strong enough to keep their sanity face a similar fate. Bound and made unable to avert their eyes, they are carried along the Ecstasy's excesses to impotently witness the slaughter of their own men or the citizens of the Imperium. Equipment Barely equipped the minimum amount to reach combat ability, warbands fighting alongside the Ecstasy often find pieces of their equipment missing, more often than not by equally missing slaves, recruits and vehicle crews. Due to their preferred battlefields featuring close encounters and confined spaces, only a small number of vehicles are found within the Ecstasy's arsenal. General Equipment: * 9-70 Entrenching Tool: A foldable shovel, essentially. * Combat Drugs: The variety of these dangerous stimulants far exceeds those originally sanctioned for imperial use. Weapons: * Lascarbines (M-35): A standard pattern Lasgun. Unspectacular but reliable. * Flamers: Able to obliterate swathes of infantry, clear bunkers or the corridors of spaceships, Flamers are an all-around useful and versatile weapon. * Shotguns: Perfectly suited for close quarter combat, these weapons are frequently used by the Ecstasy's raider troops. * Grenade Launchers: From the single shot Mezoa pattern, over the six-round Voss pattern to the fully automatic Tauros pattern; a variety of models find their use in the explosive-affine ranks of the Ecstasy and are frequently used to defend chokepoints or level entire city blocks. Irregular Equipment: * Lascutter: Industrial tools adapted for military use in sieges and as a powerful close-range weapon. * Mining Lasers: Heavy mining equipment modified to breach the heaviest of fortifications with ease. * Stub Guns, Heavy Stubbers, Auto-Guns: Weapons using the ancient principle of solid ammunition. Less powerful than LasWeapons, their high rate of fire and easy production makes them a viable alternative. * Shotlas: An illegal modification of the Lasgun. Rigged to discharge more energy per shot, precision and range suffer greatly. Explosives * Mining Explosives: Strong explosives able to blow through rock and bunker walls with equal ease. * Plasma Charges: Mines suited to penetrate strong armor while sacrificing area coverage. * Shredder Mines: Launching shrapnel into the aimed direction, these explosives usually cover tunnels or other narrow enclosures. * Spring Mines: Able to be launched remotely, these mines spring in the air before discharging, covering a large area. * Grenades: Whether simple, Imperial standard frag grenades or makeshift hallucigen grenades, all that explodes is readily deployed against the warband's enemies. Vehicles: * Goliath Trucks: A relic from the Ecstasy's homeworld, these sturdy and versatile vehicles serve as transports and light infantry support, usually equipped with Heavy Stubbers or Autocannons. * Bikes: Smaller than the Space Marine equivalent and usually unarmed, they still provide a fast and nimble transport option for the warband's reconnaissance. * Sentinels * Chimaera Fleet Possibly even before, but explicitely during the formation of the warband as such, a large part of the accompanying Imperial Navy turned out to be equally corrupt. These commanders and vessels have sworn allegiance to Major Atanasov, offering their very beings to their new Queen. * Bliss Of Obedience: A Furious Class Cruiser and the warband's flagship. Suffering from the same unreliable engine like it's brethren, it balances this flaw with outstanding firepower consisting of two weapon batteries, lance batteries and torpedo tubes. It also functions as the Ecstasy's HQ and has been refurbished to hold cells for the Major's personal prisoners. * Palace Of Limbs: A former Black Ship of the Ordo Haereticus, the Inquisitor commanding it in pursuit of the warband met his end at the hand of his supposed prey. To add insult to injury, the ship has been reconstructed to contain the cells, dungeons and vaults where the Ecstasy hosts their debauched rituals. An unverified and varying number of smaller vessels, including Frigates and Destroyers as well as numerous aircrafts have also been reported to operate under the Ecstasy's banner or in cooperation with them. Enemies and Allies Allies * ... Enemies * [[Kor Saran 1st Infantry|'Kor Saran 1st Infantry:']]'' ''During the Corruption of Kadukus, the forces of Kor Saran and the Ecstasy clashed numerous times, resulting in the death of Major Evangelija's adored slave Ogryn and the loss of Commissar Rosa Whitelock's arm. The seed for mutual hatred was planted deep. Quotes By About (Add your own) Category:Slaanesh Category:Excommunicate Traitoris Category:Renegade Guardsmen